Images of gemstones under a microscope are stunning

It looks like Aurora Borealis shooting over a mountain range, but it's not.

This is a photograph of a gemstone taken under a microscope. If you're thinking, "I could look at these breath taking images forever," you're not the only one.

That's exactly what gemologist and photographer, Danny Sanchez told Smithsonian Magazine when he began looking at them.

The beautiful bursts that look so amazing in these photographs are actually considered flaws by gemologists making them less valuable.

But it's the opposite in photographing them. Creating these gorgeous photos is more than just clicking a button. Sanchez directs light through fiber optics then takes the photo with multiple different points of focus.

The final image is a compilation of 20 to 60 individual pictures. Sanchez told Smithsonian.com he doesn't think of these images as research but rather something to "stimulate the imagination."